White Bolognese Recipe
Meet your new favorite pasta sauce—an ultra-silky Italian White Bolognese slow-cooked with wine, milk, herbs, and tender meats. Italian comfort food at its finest. Slow cooker method included!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Ragù Bianco
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 1 large carrot finely diced
- 2 ribs celery finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground veal or substitute Italian sausage, ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon homemade Italian seasoning or dried rosemary + thyme mix
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano for serving
Pasta
- 1 pound pappardelle or tagliatelle any pasta of your choice is great!
- Salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Build the soffritto: In a large heavy pot (I use a Dutch oven), heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook 8–10 minutes until the vegetables are soft, sweet, and lightly golden—this slow step is the foundation of the sauce.
- Add the garlic: Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, without letting it brown.
- Brown the meats: Add the ground pork and veal. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and Italian herbs. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat into small pieces. Cook 10–12 minutes until the meat loses its raw color and begins to lightly brown. Tip: Let the meat sit undisturbed a few times so it caramelizes—this adds depth.
- Deglaze with wine: Pour in the white wine and let it simmer until mostly evaporated, about 3–4 minutes. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Slow simmer: Add 1 ½ cups broth, the milk, rosemary (or thyme), and bay leaf. Stir gently. Bring to a soft simmer, then reduce heat to low.
- Cook uncovered for minimum of 1 hour ideally 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more broth as needed to maintain a loose, silky ragù. Remove rosemary/thyme sprig and bay leaf before serving.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pappardelle or tagliatelle until al dente, about 1–2 minutes under package instructions.
- Marry the pasta and sauce: Transfer the pasta directly into the pot of warm ragù with a splash of pasta water. Toss gently over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until the sauce clings to every ribbon of pasta. Finish with a generous handful of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve hot!
Notes
Top Tips from Elena
- Let the soffritto truly soften and caramelize—most online versions rush this step, but this is where authentic sweetness develops.
- Don’t rush the browning: Allow the meat to sit undisturbed in intervals to build flavor.
- White wine must fully reduce: If not, the sauce will taste sharp instead of balanced.
- Slow simmer uncovered: This evaporates liquid gradually and concentrates flavor.
- Add broth only as needed: The best ragù bianco should be loose and velvety, never soupy.
- Finish the pasta in the sauce: Finishing cooking directly in the ragù ensures emulsification and restaurant-level texture.
- Rest the sauce 10 minutes before serving: A short rest allows flavors to settle and deepen.
- Sauté the soffritto + brown the meats on the stovetop first.
- Transfer everything to a slow cooker.
- Add wine, broth, milk, herbs.
- Cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
- Remove herbs and finish with Parmigiano.
- Still toss pasta directly with the finished sauce for best results.
Nutrition
Serving: 6g | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 534mg | Potassium: 671mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2280IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 2mg
